Two residents of Balluk in East Midnapore’s Tamluk were denied entry to their homes when they returned after recovering from Covid-19 at a hospital in Panskura on Sunday.

The duo are part of a family of six who were admitted to the Panskura Superspecialty Hospital three weeks ago after the 70-year-old head of their family, a businessman, and his son, had been brought to the same facility with Covid-19 symptoms.

After the father and the son had been detected with the novel coronavirus, tests were carried out on four other family members. They also tested positive for the virus.

Sources said the incident had scared Balluk villagers, who did not want to let them in fearing that the disease would spread.

“We cannot allow them. It is not safe for us. The government has sealed our village,” said Trinamul leader and gram panchayat pradhan Sarat Metia, adding that the decision had been conveyed to the local health official.

Chief medical officer (health) in East Midnapore, Nitai Mondal, said the two patients had been discharged on Sunday following stipulated testing norms.

“They tested negative and were discharged,” he said, adding that the district administration had temporarily accommodated the duo at a government guesthouse in Mechheda. Three other patients who returned to their homes in Haldia did not face any resistance from neighbours.

A health worker from Panskura’s Diglabar, who was treated at Calcutta’s NRS Medical College for a snakebite, was unable to return home on Friday after villagers ostracised his family members and made it clear that they would not allow the ambulance into the village.

“He was receiving dialysis in the same ward along with a few Covid-19 patients but he was tested negative,” said a source.